Kingdom Hearts: The Prince of Hearts
by wmacelheran
Summary: The beginning of my Kingdom Hearts FanFic. Haven't worked on it since November of last year, but I'm planning on getting it going again. Sora and friends are off on more adventures. SoraxKairi RoxasxNamine. New characters to be introduced.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Water lapped the dark shore of the lightless world. A dark sun, which was now merely the shadow of one, was beginning to sink toward the water. A tall figure in a black coat appeared on a nearby dune and walked to the waters edge. He waited for some time, watching the waves slowly wear down the stones on the shore.

A sudden breeze caught his attention. Looking around he saw another figure, this one dressed in blue and grey robes, his head covered in heavy bandages, step out of a column of black fire which vanished a moment later.

"You're late, Valnos," the man in black stated.

"A small problem arose," the robed Valnos replied coldly. "It's of no further concern."

"It better not be. I don't want any problems this time around."

"I took care of it Goret. It's completely unrelated to our plans."

"We're still on track then?"

Goret turned back to face the water, "Yes. The Heartless have begun invading new worlds as well as old ones, and the Nobodies are pursuing them in search of the hearts they hold. The king already summoned the three kids; their transport should be there soon."

"Very good," Valnos replied.

There was another breeze and another column of black flames shot up. Another man in a black coat stepped out of the fire and approached the other two, kneeling down a short distance away.

"My lords," he said, his blue bangs drooping in front of his face.

"Ah, Saix," Goret said as if finally noticing him. "How's are new group forming?"

"Well, Lord Goret. Eight of the thirteen members including yourselves are accounted for. Some of the originals like myself were unable to be recovered, so we are locating new members with excellent potential."

"Very good Saix. Report back when all members are accounted for."

"Yes sir!"

The man named Saix arose and backed away. A gentle wave of his hand caused another column of flame to appear and Saix vanished.

"This is going better than expected," Valnos stated, turning to Goret.

"Yes, everything is going just as I predicted," Goret said, facing the water once again. "Soon that brat will be unprotected and we will gain or most powerful ally yet. The time is almost upon us. Go Valnos, carry out our mission, and do not fail!"

Valnos left the same way Saix had, leaving Goret alone; feeling that something could happen during all this that would make his near perfect plans go awry.


	2. Chapter 1 Letters and Energies

Chapter 1 

The warm light of the setting sun shone through the tall windows of a grand throne room. The white walls reflected the orange glow to create a warm atmosphere. Two thrones stood at one end of the throne room, a long red carpet leading away from them to the enormous doors at the other end of the room.

Something stirred in one of the thrones. Its large mouse-like ears partially hid the crown on its head. The king turned a page in his book and glanced at the large doors. He spent a few moments wondering if the large doors had ever been fully opened since the smaller door had been installed all those years ago before returning o his book. He rested his head on his hand and slowly slipped into a doze.

"King Mickey!"

The king jumped awake at the quack-like voice. His Royal Magician, Donald Duck, stood before him with a worried look on his face. Behind him stood Goofy, Captain of the Royal Knights.

"Well hi fellas," Mickey said, standing up and retrieving his book that had fallen on the floor. "What brings you here so late?"

"We received a message from Leon, Your Majesty," Donald quacked, holding out an envelope. Mickey noted how the envelope seemed to float in Donald's hand.

"Leon? Gosh, he doesn't usually contact us unless there's trouble brewing somewhere."

Mickey opened the letter and began to read. His brow furrowed and when he finished he grew worried. He turned back to Donald,

"I'm guessing you've read this already?"

"Yes, you're Majesty."

"And I'm also assuming you've taken action already?"

Mickey stepped forward to touch Donald, unsurprised to watch his hand pass right through his friend.

"Of course King Mickey sir," Goofy said. "We'll be arriving at Destiny Islands soon."

Mickey's mood brightened a bit. "Gee fellas, you really know me don't ya?"

They all shared a good laugh, and then the King became serious again. "I want you to bring those three straight back here. No diversions unless absolutely necessary. And keep me updated as much as possible."

Donald and Goofy saluted and faded away as the magic was dispelled. King Mickey turned to look out the window towards the setting sun, and slowly held his hand out in front of him. There was a flash and his hand closed around the handle of his most trusted weapon, the Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness.

"We've got a lot of work to do old friend," the King said, resting the blade on his shoulder.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Anything new Leon?"

A man in a black jacket pounded his fist on the frame of the computer terminal he was standing at. "Nothing! Well, except for Donald and Goofy flying by."

The girl who had first spoken seemed surprised. "Already? That was fast," she said in her soft voice.

"Oh come on Aerith!" Leon said impatiently, turning away from the computer. "I sent the message through Merlin. Donald would have gotten it immediately, and knowing him, he's already taken action!"

"Back off Leon!" shouted another girl as Aerith backed away looking hurt. "I know you're tense right now, heck we ALL are, but would you mind keeping it to yourself?"

The girl wrapped a consoling arm around Aerith, who muttered, "Thank you Yuffie." Leon hung his head, feeling like a complete fool.

"I'm sorry Aerith," Leon said dejectedly. "I didn't mean it."

"It's alright Leon, I understand."

A series of beeps drew their attention back to the computer. Leon stepped forward and entered a few keystrokes. "What have you found for us Tron?" he asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Tron, the computer's supervising program, replied. "It seems that a large source of energy is being slowly emitted from somewhere in the canyons, rather close at hand."

"Source of energy?"

"Yes. It appears to have been lying dormant for many years. It only seems to have become noticeable within the past few hours."

The door slid open behind everyone and someone said, "Did I hear someone mention the canyons?"

Everyone turned to find a spiky, blonde haired man standing in the doorway. A woman with long black hair was standing right behind him.

"Cloud! Tifa!" the others cried. Leon and Cloud shook hands enthusiastically as the two girls ambushed Tifa. Then Leon turned serious. "Sephiroth?"

"Gone," Cloud said, grinning. "What's this I hear about a source of energy? Could it be Heartless or Nobodies?"

"It doesn't appear to be," Tron replied. "There's nothing pointing to Darkness coming from this energy. It's a strange reading though. I haven't seen anything like this before in Radiant Garden."

"It may have something to do with that mysterious glowing cave Tifa and I passed on our way here. Come on Leon, you and I will check out this energy. The girls can monitor from here."

Cloud and Leon left, grabbing their blades on the way out, and the girls huddled at the computer screen.

Not much seemed different in the canyons as far as Leon and Cloud could see. At the far end however stood the old Heartless castle. It's once empty moat was now beginning to fill with swarms of Heartless once more. From their position in the bailey, all they could see was a body of Darkness filled with yellow eyes.

The purple and blue walls of the canyons however contained only scattered varieties of Heartless, with the occasional trio of Nobodies wandering around. At one point they could see a small glimmer of light Cloud confirmed as the cave he had passed earlier.

"The Darkness is growing alarmingly fast," Cloud stated.

"Yeah," Leon said grimly, tightening his grip on his gunblade. "And we've yet to discover the cause."

"Maybe that will give us a clue."

Cloud motioned toward the glowing cave and they both spotted several groups of Heartless gathering nearby. They leapt over the rail and slid down the canyon wall. Weapons ready, they charged the group of Heartless Shadows.

The group was quickly dispatched and Leon was about to sheathe his blade when he heard Cloud call him. Leon looked around and saw him running for the cave. Leon turned quick enough to see several stronger Neoshadows duck inside. Damn! The Shadows were just a diversion!

Leon caught up with Cloud and they were just about to enter the cave they stopped short. A blast of warm air had blown out of the cave and was getting hotter. The glowing light, which until now had been a dim white, turned red and got brighter and brighter. Realization hit the pair as they leapt aside just in time to allow a column of flame to shoot between them and slam into the other side of the canyon. The heat was so intense that Cloud and Leon had to shield their faces for fear of burns.

When the flames died down, the two swordsmen looked back at the cave in time to see what appeared to be a teenage boy stumble out of the cave and fall to the ground. Leon rushed over to see if he was okay.

The boy was unconscious but his hands bore the telling signs of having just used fire magic, they were covered in soot and very warm. The boy had long brown hair and was dressed in boots, a fur coat, and thick pants. Leon checked his vitals and was relieved to feel a faint, but steady pulse. He picked the boy up and draped him over a shoulder.

"Come on Cloud," Leon said. "This boy needs treatment, he's very weak."

Cloud nodded and glanced back at the cave. The light had vanished so he pointed this out to Leon. Leon nodded and they headed back to town.


	3. Chapter 2 A Dark Return

**Chapter 2**

"Can't we go any faster Donald?"

"No Goofy!" If we go any faster we'll damage the engines!"

The Gummy Ship blasted through space. Its speed made passing worlds look like colorful blurs against the inky blackness. Donald and Goofy kept up a constant stream of bickering, their voices carrying through an open hatch leading to the lower decks.

Three teenagers lounged in various chairs. Well, two did, the third was leaning against the boy with spiky brown hair. The boy looked down at the girl who'd fallen asleep against him and smiled, then looked at the other occupied chair. The young man in it had long silver hair than ran down in front of his eyes. He was massaging his temples, glaring at the open hatch. The pilots were starting to bug the heck out of him.

"Was it always like this Sora," the silver haired man asked.

"Huh?" the spiky haired boy asked. He had turned his attention back to the girl on his chest and hadn't been paying attention. "Oh, you mean Donald and Goofy? Yeah, almost all the time they bickered. Are they starting to get to you Riku?"

"Oh yeah."

Sora chuckled. He knew the feeling. He had first met Donald and Goofy when he was fourteen. At first, he was constantly annoyed by the bickering, but he eventually learned to block it out. It looked like Riku had yet to learn that, despite having rejoined them after some rather disturbing events some years ago.

Sora was known as the Keyblade Master. The Keyblade was a powerful weapon in the shape of a key, hence the name. With the power in the blade, Sora had gone on several wild journeys, fighting the creatures of the dark, the Heartless and Nobodies. The Heartless branch of Sora's enemies were vile creatures that stole people's hearts, exposing them to the darkness within. The victim of a Heartless would have no choice to succumb to the Darkness within themselves and would be changed into a Heartless.

The Nobodies were different and in some ways much more dangerous. They too longed for the power of the heart. Nobodies were the empty vessels left behind when a person was turned into a Heartless. Sora had learned that not all Nobodies were bad though. Especially since both he and the girl, Kairi, had Nobodies dwelling within them.

Sora had saved the universe from the Heartless and Nobodies several times. Not all the adventures he had been on were pleasant memories, especially the time when Riku had been possessed by the Darkness. He had eventually seen the error of his ways and rejoined Sora and Kairi.

Riku looked over at Sora and Kairi with a smirk, temporarily ignoring their pilots' bickering. They were a great couple. Sora had saved Kairi during his adventures, and eventually, Kairi had helped save Sora almost a year later, around the time Riku had finally come back to the light.

_Hey Sora?_

Sora's head jerked up towards Riku, who had gone back to massaging his temples. It didn't look like he'd said anything.

_In here blockhead._ The voice was coming from inside his head.

_Roxas? What do you need?_ Roxas was Sora's Nobody.

_When do you think I can see Namine again? _Namine was the Nobody that resided inside of Kairi. One of the many reasons Sora and Kairi had ended up together was not just their love, but of their Nobodies' love for each other.

_Don't worry Roxas. You can see her as soon as we get to Disney Castle._

_Thanks man. Kinda boring without her you know?_

_Yeah, I know._

Riku suddenly stood up, looking very annoyed. The nineteen year old stared up the open hatch a few seconds before speaking. He turned to Sora, who was a year younger.

"I'm going to teach them to be quiet," he said, heading for the ladder. Sora merely chuckled.

Before Riku could start climbing however, the whole ship shook violently, jolting Kairi awake.

"What the-?" she asked groggily as Sora kneeled down next to where she had fallen. Donald and Goofy's bickering had turned into shouts of alarm.

"We're under attack!" came Donald's panicky quack.

Riku bounded up the ladder, Sora right on his heels. Sora didn't bother with the ladder, he just leaped up to the cockpit shouting, "What happened?"

"One of the engines has been hit!" Goofy shouted back as he engaged the shields. Riku leapt into another chair and grabbled a set of handles. A screen came online.

"This doesn't look good!" Riku said, pulling the triggers as fast as he could to keep up a steady steam of laser fire. "There's gotta be twice the usual number of enemy ships. And get this…"

"What?" Sora asked eagerly.

"The Heartless and Nobodies are working together this time around."

Everyone one grew worried. The Heartless and Nobodies hated each other since the very beginning and fought each other at every opportunity. So why were they working together?

As Sora tried to think this out, he felt the air grow thick. His chest tightened somewhat and it became hard to breathe. He clutched his chest and leaned against the wall. Something foul smelling was wafting up from below deck.

Kairi noticed Sora against the wall and rushed over to him. "What's wrong Sora?"

"Don't you feel anything?" Sora asked quietly, surprised to see Kairi breathing normally. He eyed the hatch and realized what was going on. He directed his next statement to the entire group, "Something's here, down below."

Sora summoned his weapon, the legendary Keyblade, currently in the form of the Fenrir, and dashed downstairs. Kairi was about to follow when Riku called for her. She turned to see him climbing down from the weapon controls.

"I'll go," he said, summoning his own Keyblade, known as the Way to the Dawn. "You take over the weapons and keep us in one piece. You're more accurate than I am. Whatever Sora sensed reeks of Darkness."

Kairi nodded and climbed up, almost immediately taking out a Heartless craft. Riku advanced down the stairs, his Dark powers he'd gained from the time he'd spent in the Darkness awaiting his command. When he descended, he was immediately swallowed by the shadows. Donald and Goofy looked at each other and shared the same worried thoughts.

"Sora!? Where are you?"

The once brightly lit lounge was pitch black. Even Riku, who'd spent his life developing his Dark powers to help the side of light, couldn't see.

"Riku?"

"Sora! Where are you?"

"Not sure. I can't see a thing. I know there's something down here though."

"Yeah I feel it too."

"Lemme try and shed some light."

Riku saw something start to glow at the other side of the room. It was Sora's Keyblade.

"That's weird…" Sora said.

"What?"

"I can't make it any brighter. The spell is at full strength yet it looks like nothing more than a candle."

Riku was about to reply when he saw something that filled him with dread. A pair of red eyes had appeared near Sora just after his Keyblade had started glowing. It was slowly moving towards him.

"Sora! Behind you!"

The Keyblade Master leapt away toward the sound of Riku's voice, narrowly avoiding an attack from the creature. But what happened next caught them both off guard. The eyes sudden shot up at Sora and slammed him straight through the ceiling, leaving a large hole behind them.

"Wak!" came Donald's signature cry as Sora landed on the floor of the cockpit. Kairi abandoned the weapons, leaving them on auto-fire, as she had already taken most of the enemy ships out. Before she reached him, she stopped dead, gazing at the dark mass that was slowly collecting itself at the far end of the cockpit.

Riku leapt up through the hole and landed next to Kairi, who jumped in shock and summoned her Floral Fantasies Keyblade. Donald and Goofy came up to them, Goofy with his shield, and Donald with his staff.

The dark mass rose along with Sora and all of them gasped at the sight. The creature looked like the Anti-Sora, but this one had red eyes. In its hands was a black version of the Kingdom Key. Sora, still shocked by the appearance of the Anti-Sora, felt a warmth in his hand. Glancing down, he saw the Fenrir had reverted back to the true Kingdom Key.

The Anti-Sora gave a chilling chuckle from an unseen mouth and disappeared. Sora did as well a moment later with a cry of pain. The others looked around franticly, then heard noises coming from the ceiling. They all looked up, and Kairi nearly fainted at the sight.

Sora was pinned to the ceiling, the Keyblade threatening to fall out of his limp hand. The Anti-Sora held the real Sora by the throat against the ceiling. He stared into Sora's semi-closed eyes as Sora twitched in pain. In the nanosecond it had taken to reach the ceiling, Sora had been pummeled on every part of his body. Then the Anti-Sora spoke. His voice was icy cold, and rang of pure evil.

"Now Sora," it said with a slight hiss, "time to give me the rest of the Darkness in your heart!"

Anti-Sora reached back with his ebony Keyblade and plunged it into Sora's chest, light emitting from the entry point. Sora screamed in pain as black flames surrounded him, flowing along the Keyblade and into Anti-Sora. Kairi almost fainted again, and Riku caught her before she fell.

After a few moments of Sora's screams of pain, it got silent. Sora hung limply in the Anti-Sora's grasp. The black doppelganger was more distinguishable now, they could clearly see that he wore a pure black version of Sora's magical outfit. The Dark being removed his Keyblade and Sora fell to the ground. Kairi rushed to his side. He wasn't breathing.

The Anti-Sora was laughing. He turned to them all and gave a stiff wave before disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

Once the evil thing had gone, they all turned their sad eyes back to Sora, but instead found someone else. He was sitting up, rubbing his head.

_Roxas!_

Kairi felt energy surge through her as her Nobody, Namine, stepped out of her in a spectral form. The blonde haired, transparent girl ran over to Roxas.

"What…" the Nobody started, looking at his body. "How did this happen? Where's Sora?"

No one could answer that. His body had vanished, leaving behind the Keyblade which Roxas promptly picked up.

"Hey guys!"

Every one turned to Riku, who was standing at the ship's controls.

"I can't steer! We're going to crash!"

Sure enough, in the view window a world had appeared. Donald and Goofy recognized it instantly.

"Radiant Garden!" they shouted together. Riku immediately got on the communicator.

"Mayday! Mayday!" he shouted into it. "Can anyone hear me? This is the Highwind!"

The communicator responded with static for a few seconds before a voice all of them knew came on.

"Radiant Garden to Highwind… What are you doing here Riku? You're supposed to be heading for Disney Castle," came the voice of Leon.

"Perhaps you didn't hear the maydays!" Riku snapped back. "We're on a crash course with Radiant Garden!"

"That isn't good. Do you have any control over the ship? Can you land in the canyons?"

"I can try. But I'm not guaranteeing anything."

Riku latched onto the steering controls and pulled with all his might as the surface of Radiant Garden loomed closer. Roxas ran over to help, putting his reacquired body to work. With the combined effort, the two managed to get the ship to veer away from the city and castle, and right into the crystalline canyons.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!" they shouted and everyone latched onto something. Namine merely reentered Kairi's body.

The Gummy Ship lurched forward on impact. As they slid across the canyon, they saw two people standing at the other end. Donald and Goofy recognized the girl as Tifa, but the guy was a newcomer to them. He had spiky blonde hair that stuck straight up and had a large tattoo on the side of his face.

As the ship slid closer, both fighters brought back their fists, and slammed them into the hull, creating a large dent and effectively stopping the ship.

Riku, Kairi, and the others somehow found their way out.

"Thanks Tifa," Riku said. "We need to see Leon."

"I know," she replied, smiling. Riku blushed slightly and Kairi giggled. "Follow me."

They all left the smoking wreckage of the Gummy Ship behind and left the canyon with Tifa and the stranger.


	4. Chapter 3 Will's Awakening

Chapter 3 

Aerith sat in the infirmary with the strange boy Cloud and Leon had brought back. Judging by his movements, he was getting ready to wake up. She cast one last healing spell on the boy so he would have the strength to move, and leaned back to wait.

She didn't have to wait very long. Only a minute after the spell ended, the boy opened his eyes slowly. He slowly looked around with blurred eyes until he could focus. He realized he was in a bed. _Where in the world am I?_ He asked himself. Then he noticed the woman sitting next to the bed.

He sat straight up, hoping beyond hope that his clothes were still on. It had become a habit to him after waking up several times after a gruesome fight to find he had nothing on. Lucky, he didn't have to worry. He did indeed have his clothes on, but his head was now swimming from the sudden movement.

"You're finally awake," the woman said. She had a sweet soothing voice. "What's your name?"

"Um…" he wasn't sure if he could trust the woman, but seeing as he in her hospital or something like that, he decided to tell her. "Will, my name is Will."

"My name is Aerith. Do you remember what happened before you got here?"

Will tried to think. He remembered the cave, and those creatures. He'd used that fire spell that sapped him of his strength. Some guy in a black, fur-lined jacket had then picked him up and carried him away.

"I remember some of what happened in the cave. But most of it is a blur," Will said, raising a hand to his head. Aerith watched him, intrigued. "Who was the man in the black coat?"

"That must have been Leon," Aerith replied. "Speaking off which…"

Aerith removed a small device from her hip. Will recognized it as a communicator of some type. "Leon?" she said into it.

The gadget crackled a response, "What is it Aerith?"

"Or guest is awake," she replied, smiling at Will. He looked no older than eighteen.

"Good, bring him up. Riku and the others will be here soon."

"Riku? Wasn't he supposed to go to the castle?"

"There have been a few problems. Meet us in Ansem's study as soon as you can."

"We're coming."

She turned off the communicator, a worried expression on her face.

"Is something wrong?" Will asked.

"Leon said 'Riku' and the others would be here soon. Why didn't he say 'Sora' and the others?"

"Sora?" Will asked, his interest peaking. "The savior of Kingdom Hearts?"

"Y-yes…how do you know of him?"

"I had been searching for him some time ago. I may need his help."

"Then lets not do anymore dilly-dallying. Can you walk?"

Will replied by flinging himself off the bed. He landed gracefully; surprised that he should feel almost completely healed. Aerith smiled and led him out of the infirmary.


	5. Chapter 4 Advice for Kairi

Chapter 4

Leon was seated behind Ansem's old desk when they all walked in. Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and a strange boy stood on one side of the room. On the other was the boy he and Cloud had found, named Will. Aerith stood next to Will with a calming hand on his shoulder. He looked like he had just been punished, but the truth was that there were now too many people in this small room for his liking. He appreciated the fact that Aerith tried to help him relax. She was the only one Will had actually talked to today.

"What happened to Sora?" Leon asked when they all stopped moving around. Everyone on Riku's group was silent. Kairi however, finally broke down. She sank to her knees and started crying. Tifa and Yuffie, who had been standing behind Leon, ran over to try and console her. Damn, Leon thought sadly. Not the reaction I was hoping for.

Riku took a step forward and explained what happened on the ship. Somehow, he forgot to mention Roxas. Leon turned toward him once Riku finished.

"Who are you?" Leon asked, as politely as he could. "I don't think I remember seeing you before."

"My name is Roxas. I'm Sora's Nobody."

Leon nodded, he'd heard of him. Why he wasn't with Sora, no one knew. Leon now turned to Will.

"So Will. Mind telling me what you were doing in that cave?"

Will paused for a second. He looked around the room and his eyes fell on Riku, Kairi (who was still crying), and Roxas. He knew who they were. They were Keyblade Masters, the people he'd been searching for.

"Will?" Leon asked sternly.

"Huh? Oh right. That cave was my resting place. I was trying to recover. Had a nasty run in with a bunch of Heartless a long time ago. I found that cave and thought it a good place to hide for the recovery process to commence."

"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me you've been in that cave for a few years?" Leon asked, very confused.

"Yes. I don't usually heal like a normal person, because of a curse placed on me long ago when I was just a baby. Once the container does its stuff, I am placed back in my own body."

"What do you mean 'placed back in your own body?' And what's this container?"

"The container takes my soul and pours energy back into it. Has to be done every now and then to keep me healthy. I pushed myself a little too hard last time, and the consequence was more time in the container."

"Where's your home?" Aerith asked.

"Gone," Will said simply, turning to her. "And not because of the darkness. The man who placed the curse on me destroyed the planet just after I left. How long I was asleep for, I'll never know. But I do remember arriving in Traverse Town just before Sora arrived."

"What have you been doing since then?"

"Searching for my planet's murderer."

Everyone in the room fell silent. The door opened and everyone turned to see a very gloomy Cid walk through. He walked straight over to Kairi.

"I searched through the wreckage of the Gummy Ship," he said quietly, "and I found this."

He placed something in her hand and walked back out of the room. Everyone looked back at Kairi, who had tears running down her cheeks again. In her hand was a very familiar necklace. Its pendant was a three pointed crown. Sora's necklace.

Kairi stared at the necklace, tears quietly flowing down her cheeks.

_Will I ever see him again?_

_Of course you will!_

_What makes you so sure Namine? He's completely vanished._

_Not from your heart Kairi. Come on Princess of Heart! You should have known that one!_

_B-but... Well, yes I know that but that won't bring him back!_

_No… but…_

_Please Namine… not now. Maybe later okay?_

_Oh, I'm sorry Kairi. I forgot you're not exactly… Okay we'll talk later then._

Kairi was a little sadder than before. She didn't mean to be rude to Namine, she was her closest friend. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Namine next to her, giving her a comforting smile. Kairi hadn't even notice Namine leave her.

Leon looked at them with sad eyes; he knew all too well how it felt to lose someone you love. He just hopped Sora wasn't dead. That would be very bad indeed. Then he saw Namine appear, comfort Kairi a little, and then walk over to stand with Roxas, who took her transparent hand.

"The king will arrive in a few days," Leon said as calmly as he could. "Why don't all of you go rest? Will, you can stay with Riku and his friends if you want."

Will nodded and turned to Riku. Riku nodded as well, smirking. _This could be fun,_ Will thought, until he saw Kairi slowly leave the room. Roxas noticed too and he and Namine followed a good distance behind. Riku walked up to Will.

"Glad to meet you. I'm Riku," Riku held out his hand, which Will took.

"Will," he said simply. "You're the Warrior of the Dawn right Lord Riku?"

"Lord? Me? Heck no. I'm just Riku. But yeah, I have heard people call me the Warrior of the Dawn. Probably because my Keyblade is called the Way to the Dawn."

Will nodded and looked at the door. Something was still bugging him about that girl Kairi. He excused himself and left the study. He made his way outside and looked around. He couldn't see her anywhere. _I wonder if I can still use that tracking spell…_ He muttered a few magic words and he spotted something, glowing footsteps. They went up a set of stairs and around a corner. Will followed quickly.

"You going to be okay Kairi?" Roxas asked. She looked at him sadly. They had stopped on a balcony overlooking the city.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore Roxas," she said. "Sora meant everything to me. Without him, I no longer feel complete. I don't even know if he is alive."

"He is," Roxas said, looking at the setting sun. Kairi turned to him, demanding an explanation. "Sora and I are linked. We are the same person, so we know the other's whereabouts. All I can say is that he is alive."

Namine placed a spectral hand on Roxas's shoulder. She looked at Kairi, who had stopped crying, but now looked confused.

"Okay, so he's alive. But how do we find him? He just vanished into thin air!"

"That's why all I know is he's alive. Wherever he is, he's extremely far away," Roxas said.

"Perhaps I may be of assistance Princess," said a strange voice.

Kairi, Roxas, and Namine turned to see Will slowly climbing the steps, his long brown hair being swept into his face by the breezes that were blowing. He pushed his hair back and smiled sheepishly.

"Forgive me for eavesdropping," he said, bowing before Kairi. "I believe I may have some advice for you, your Highness."

Kairi blushed slightly. She wasn't used to someone calling her "Princess" and "your Highness." Will was acting like some kind of knight that was in her service. He stood once again, and Kairi nearly cowered in the change that had overcome him. His face had changed from being kind, to being stony and full of hatred and determination. Kairi could have sworn that his eyes glowed.

"Love is a mysterious thing isn't it?" Will said in a very deep voice. "Very unpredictable, yet a force to be reckoned with. Now, I shall ask a few questions. Who is it that you seek?"

Kairi was trembling slightly as she spoke, "S-Sora."

"Why do you seek him?"

"Be-because I love him, why else?"

"Interesting, explain how he makes you feel."

"Well… he makes me feel complete. Without him, I don't think I could go on."

Will continued to stare at her for a few more seconds as she clutched Sora's necklace. Then he began to circle her.

"No one knows where the Keyblade Master has disappeared too do they?"

"No."

"Your journey will not be easy. You're road will be unknown. One thing you mustn't do is give up. Keep your eyes on the goal and let it guide you."

Kairi looked into Will's fearsome eyes and had an unexpected vision. She saw a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and green eyes. She wore a flowing green dress and held a small bouquet of flowers. The vision ended and Will had reverted back to his normal, kind self. There was a sad look on his face.

"What did you just see?" Will asked, looking out at the sunset.

"I s-saw a woman," Kairi said, stepping up to the railing on the edge of the balcony.

"Vera."

"Who?"

"Her name is Vera. She is what keeps me going. If I can find the man who cursed me, I'll be reunited with her at last. I know she's alive. You could say that she's the fire that burns in my heart."

_That's so romantic,_ Kairi thought.

_I'll say._

_Namine? What do you think? Should I take his advice?"_

_I think you should. Just follow your heart Princess, and you'll find Sora!_


	6. Chapter 5 Number XIII

**Chapter 5**

Aerith walked down one of the many hallways of the Radiant Garden Castle. She glanced inside of each room she passed and down each hallway.

She was looking for Will. He still wasn't fully healed and she wanted to make sure he was well on the road to a full recovery. Over the years, she'd become Radiant Garden's unofficial Head Healer. She had yet to lose a patient in her care.

She was lost in thought when she unknowingly passed Will coming out of a darker hallway.

"Why did I let him leave after that meeting?" she asked herself. Will smiled slightly and leaned against the wall.

"Let who leave?"

Aerith spun around and saw Will standing there with a grin on his face. She smiled when she realized who it was.

"Let you leave," she said. "There are a few more things I want to check. Then you can go have all the fun you want."

Will looked away, the grin fading from his face.

"Thank you Aerith," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"Back at the meeting, I nearly panicked. I didn't know anyone, and it was starting to get a little cramped for me. You took it upon yourself to comfort me and stand by me. So for that, thank you."

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. You looked scared to death, especially in the state your in. Now please, come with me."

Aerith turned and headed down a hallway toward the infirmary, Will in hot pursuit.

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"What do you think of him Riku?" Leon asked back in the study.

"Who? Will?" Riku asked, turning from some of the newer viewscreens. "He seems alright. I can detect something evil around him, but it's not part of his own signature if you get my meaning."

"Yeah, that must be the curse he was talking about. You should have seen the fire spell he used. Melted the walls of the cave, not to mention it burned a new cave in the opposite side of the canyon."

Riku whistled in amazement. "That's impressive. But I don't think he'll be doing that again anytime soon. He seems greatly weakened by something."

"I noticed that as well. Aerith took him back to the infirmary to see if there was anything she could to help."

The door opened just then and Leon leapt from his chair when he saw who was in the doorway. Riku let out a cry of joy and ran to the mouse standing in the doorway.

"King Mickey!" the keyblader shouted.

Mickey and Riku were very close friends. They had survived in the Realm of Darkness together before returning to aid Sora in defeating the Nobodies and Organization XIII. It had been three years since then and Riku had grown to the point where Mickey could sit comfortably on his shoulder, which is exactly what he did.

"I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow," Riku said.

"That was the plan until Chip and Dale found the warp gummi Sora Donald and Goofy used on their first adventure," Mickey explained. At the mention of Sora, everyone fell silent and Donald and Goofy, who were still present, sank to the floor. Mickey looked confused. "I say something fellas?"

Donald stood back up and quacked, "Sora's missing your Majesty."

Mickey was stunned. Riku had to reach up and support him before he fell off his shoulder. Before anything else could be said however, there was a knock at the door and a group of people entered. Tifa and Cloud came in first, followed by Roxas, Kairi, and Namine. Bringing up the rear was Will and a bemused looking Aerith. Riku noticed that Kairi wasn't as gloomy. Leon looked over to Aerith and glanced at Will, asking silently if she had helped him. She shook her head slowly.

After everyone but Will, as he wasn't acquainted with him, greeted the king, Will walked up to Leon, who was still seated behind Ansem the Wise's old desk.

"I'm afraid I must be on my way," Will said. "My few years in the container have left me with no clues as to where the creep who destroyed my home has gone, and I must continue my search."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Leon said, rising from his chair and shaking Will's hand. "Good luck. You're welcome here anytime."

"Thanks Leon. I'm sure I'll be back soon." Will turned to the king and bowed. "Your Majesty." He shook hands with Riku and headed for the door, stopping as he passed Kairi, Roxas, and the ghostly Namine.

"Remember," he said, just loud enough for them to hear, "never give up, and never lose sight of the goal."

He then bowed to Kairi, saying, "Princess," and left, giving Aerith a quick bow as well.

"Now," Mickey said, hoping down onto the desk, "can anyone tell me what happened to Sora?"

Hoping that Kairi wouldn't break down again, Riku recounted what happened on the Gummi Ship. Kairi, much to Riku's surprise, showed no sign of crying during the second retelling. She just stood there, holding Sora's crown necklace that now hung from her own neck.

Mickey was now sitting on the edge of the desk. When Riku finished, he held his head; things had just gotten a lot more difficult. Everyone was quiet for a few moments, waiting for the king to speak, but someone beat him to it.

"There's still a little hope Your Majesty."

Everyone turned to look at Kairi, who was focused on the king, who in turn looked interested.

"Sora isn't completely gone," the Princess of Heart continued. "If he was, Roxas would have disappeared too."

Mickey quickly stood back up on the desk and looked wildly around for Roxas. Said Nobody poked his head out from behind Riku and Mickey jumped in shock.

"Roxas?" the king managed to get out. "You're… um…"

"Back in a body?" Roxas finished. "Yes sir."

Mickey quickly overcame his shock and grew serious. "Tell me Roxas, can you wield the Keyblade?"

Roxas concentrated for a moment. There was a flash, and the Kingdom Key appeared in his right hand. Before anyone could react however, there was another flash and the Oblivion appeared in Roxas's left hand.

"Number XIII, Roxas, the Key of Destiny," Roxas mumbled, a hint of disgust in his voice, "is back."

Everyone was speechless. No one but Sora had known that Roxas had mastered the art of duel wielding keyblades. Roxas stood there with his eyes closed a moment longer before examining his weapons. When he saw the Kingdom Key, he let out a cry of shock.

"What happened to the Oathkeeper?!" he cried Then he stopped and looked at Kairi. She could swear a light bulb appeared over his head. "That's right. Sora gave it back to you after defeating Xemnas."

"What are you talking about Roxas?" Kairi asked. Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keychains that Sora had left behind with the Keyblade.

"You know the keychains change the Keyblade right?" Roxas asked of Kairi, who nodded in reply. "Well there was one that Sora cherished and used constantly. It was the Oathkeeper, and it's keychain was the good luck charm you gave to him."

Kairi was surprised. She unclipped the charm from her belt noticing for the first time the white, braided cord that Sora had added to it. She summoned her Floral Fantasies Keyblade and saw the keychain currently attached to it. It was shaped like a paupu fruit. As if in a trance, she removed the paupu keychain and clipped her charm to the Keyblade.

The legendary weapon glowed and changed form. When the glow faded, Kairi was looking at the most beautiful Keyblade she'd seen yet. It was snow-white, with two parallel shafts, the top one with a multicolored star looking key, the bottom one joining it with a heart around it. At the base of the shafts where they joined the angle-wing hilt was a small, white, heart. The gripless handle was the same snow-white as the rest of the blade.

Roxas smiled slightly. It seemed fitting that a Princess of Heart should wield the beautiful Oathkeeper.

"Sora used this while searching for me…" Kairi was saying. It didn't come out as a question, but as a statement. "… and now it's my turn. I'll use the Oathkeeper while searching for Sora!"

She swung her new weapon to the side and dismissed it.

"I'm glad to here you're determined princess."

All eyes turned to see Will leaning against the doorframe. Everyone, especially King Mickey and Kairi, was surprised. He was supposed to be long gone by now.

"Sorry to intrude," Will said, standing upright and rubbing the back of his neck. "I found my ship in the forest, damaged and rusted beyond use. I remembered you guys would be looking for Sora, so I came to offer my services to aid in the search."

"Well gee, Will, thanks!" Mickey said, standing and shaking hands with him. "The more the merrier! Now, let's discuss what we should do."


	7. Chapter 6 The Realm of Light

**Chapter 6**

_SORA!_

Sora's eyes shot open and immediately shut, the light was intense. Opening them more cautiously, he realized it wouldn't have mattered whether his eyes were open or closed. There was nothing to see but white in every direction. He couldn't even discern the ground from the sky. It reminded Sora of being in the Realm of Darkness while fighting Xehanort's Heartless, only instead of endless black, he was looking at endless white.

Sora stood up and, not knowing what else to do, he started walking. His foot steps echoed as if he were in an empty hallway. There was nothing in this place of endless white. He was completely alone.

_Am I dead?_ He thought.

The instant he thought that, he heard something behind him. He turned and saw someone standing behind him. From the slenderness of the person's figure, Sora could tell the person was a woman. She wore a fitted white coat that fell to her ankles, showing her white shoes underneath. The design of the coat looked like those of Organization XIII's black ones. It even had the metal clasp and hood pulls, only these ones seemed to be made of platinum, as the metal looked white.

The hood on the woman's head did nothing to hide her kind, smiling face, for Sora had quickly learned that this place had no shadows of any kind. Her brown hair fell to the sides of her face as if it was trying to frame it. Her captivatingly green eyes held nothing but kindness and care.

Despite her harmless demeanor, her sudden appearance had startled Sora into trying to summon the Keyblade, only to find that it wouldn't come. He tried again with the same results, but also found that he couldn't detect the Keyblade within him at all.

The woman's expression turned to one of concern as she came closer. When she was a few feet away, she stopped and spoke.

"You are Sora?" Her voice was sweet and delicate.

"Yes, I am," Sora replied, surprised to find that his voice held a tinge of fear.

"Do not worry, Chosen Wielder of the Keyblade, you are safe here."

"Where exactly is here? And who are you?"

"This is the Realm of Light."

"W-w-wait… wait… Realm of Light? I thought that's where I was before I came here!"

"A common misunderstanding. There are, in fact, three Realms. The Realm of Darkness, which your friend Riku is familiar with, is the home, of course, to all beings of the dark, including the Heartless and Nobodies. To them, the Realm of Darkness is paradise. Second is the Realm you are familiar with, the Realm of Life, where all the many worlds reside. I need not describe it to you.

"And finally, this Realm, the Realm of Light is, by far, the most disbelieved in Realm. That's where the confusion comes in. The only people who can access the Realm of Light and thereby know it's here are those whose hearts possess no darkness at all, namely the seven Princesses of Heart."

By now, they had both taken a seat while the explanation was being given. Sora nodded his head in understanding.

"That all makes sense, but you still haven't told me who you are," Sora said, putting his chin in his hand. He saw the woman's face sadden.

"To be honest with you Sora," she started, "I don't really know who I am. I can remember nothing from the time I entered the Realm of Light, which was around the same time you acquired the Keyblade."

"Wow, must be kind of hard not knowing where you came from or who you are."

"It was at first, but now it no longer concerns me. Tell me Sora, what do you see around you?"

Sora thought this was an odd question. He took a quick look around as if expecting to see something other than them and the endless white, but saw nothing.

"Um… I don't see anything but us and a lot of white," came Sora's reply. The woman looked puzzled.

"Really? That's strange," she said, standing up. "Please stand, there is something I must check."

Sora complied, standing in front of the woman. She closed her eyes and placed a hand near Sora's heart, about two inches of air separated the hand from his chest. Her hand started to glow with a blue light and this passed to Sora, remaining connected with its source all the while. Sora felt as if something were poking and prodding his heart like in an examination. Finally, the glow faded and the woman opened her eyes.

"Seems your heart had an unexpected reaction to having all the Darkness sucked out of it in a matter of seconds…" she said.

"Wha… what do you mean?" Sora asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing that should cause any problems. The reason you were able to come here was because after your Dark self stole what was left of the Darkness in your heart, there was nothing left but the light that remains in all things. Your heart became pure, allowing access to this Realm. However, the process seems to have weakened your heart into sealing it from outside influence. That is why you can see nothing at the moment, your heart isn't letting you."

"What do I have to do to be able to see again?" Sora asked eagerly. The fact that this woman knew what happened on the Gummi Ship didn't even register with the Keyblade Master.

"We need to unseal your heart, but for that we require the use of your Keyblade."

Sora's face fell. _Typical,_ Sora thought. _We need to use something I can't even call upon anymore._

The woman seemed to know what he was thinking. "There is another way to use the Keyblade."

Sora's face shot up, an eager expression on his face.

"The Keyblade has been with you for so long that it has become a part of you completely. To call upon it once more, you must search _deep_ within your self, calling to it all the while."

"How do you know all this?" Sora asked while preparing to summon the Keyblade once more.

"In this Realm, I am known as Teacher. I gather information on many things simply by using the connecting paths between the Realms. Now, try to summon the Keyblade."

Sora stood stock still with his eyes closed. Teacher watched as the expression on his face went from one of calm to one of determination to one of frustration and back to an expression of determination. His outstretched hand began to glow and with a signature flash and magical sound, the Keyblade appeared once again. It was in the form of the Fenrir, the wolf medallion dangling from the keychain reminding Sora of his friend Cloud Strife.

Teacher was clapping at Sora's successful attempt. "You truly are the Keyblade Master young one."

Sora grinned slightly. Gazing at the Fenrir Keyblade, he pondered why it had not appeared in the form of the Kingdom Key. It had been in its Fenrir form on the Gummi Ship before being forced back into the Kingdom Key. He pushed it out of his mind.

"Now comes the uncomfortable part. May I see the Keyblade?" Teacher was saying. Sora, looking doubtful as to whether or not she could use it, turned the blade around and offered the handle to her. She gripped the handle and immediately pointed the tip of the blade at Sora's heart. She closed her eyes and light formed at the tip of the Keyblade, shooting straight into its true wielder's heart.

Sora once again felt as if he was being examined again but now he felt something else, something longing to escape. The Keyblade's magic found what it was searching for and the sudden burst of energy forced Sora's back to arch, throwing his head backward to stare straight up. He let out a slightly pained yell as the energy flowed through him, strengthening him and sharpening his senses. When the moment was over, Sora was able to stand straight up again, but he kept his held tilted back, gazing in wonder at the ceiling he now saw.

The ceiling was a polished marble carved to such perfection that no fault could be found on its smooth surface. The Keyblade Master lowered his head and gazed at the window that had appeared in a similar marble wall. Outside, the cobalt blue sky held not one single cloud, nor was there any sun to be seen. A beautiful set of hills rolled away from Sora, covered in grass so green, Sora thought it was magical. He looked back to where he was and found himself in a long hallway, the walls and ceiling made of marble, and the floor of a highly polished white oak wood.

He turned back to Teacher, a look of awe on his face. He didn't even register that she was still holding the Fenrir, while one of the Ultima Keyblades was now revolving slowly about a foot from Sora's left hand. Nor did he notice that he was now a little taller than she was.

Teacher smiled when she saw Sora's new appearance and stunned look. "The Realm of Light is a paradise. Many people who still believe it exists call it heaven. That's not true though, Heaven is elsewhere. But that is beside the point now Sora. You haven't even noticed what happened to yourself!"

Teacher released the Fenrir and Sora watched as it began to revolve and come to a slow, spinning rest near his right hand, floating a foot away. He reached out to grab it and noticed something different about his glove. It was now white with black straps and knuckle guard. Realizing he had indeed undergone a transformation, he looked himself over.

His entire outfit had become a mix of white, black, and silver. Tribal designs decorated the sleeves of his white jacket and the silvery hem of his white pants. He noticed that his crown necklace was missing, but also that he was currently hovering almost six inches off the floor. The Fenrir and the Ultima Keyblade (this one seemed to follow the design of the one the Moogles had made for him in Traverse town when he was fourteen) slowly revolved next to him. Sora had seemingly just been permanently transformed into his Final Drive Form. Teacher was smiling with a look of pride.

"Now that we have unsealed the light that was trapped within your heart, I will teach you how to wield it. It will be a long and hard road, and you will learn things that no one else has ever been able to do before, but in the end, I foresee that the knowledge I can help you achieve will aid you in defeating your Dark form. Do you wish to accept my training?"

Sora thought for a moment. He had no idea how to get out of this Realm so he could go back to Kairi and the others. Plus, learning anything that could help him defeat that monstrosity would definitely help. He felt he could trust Teacher, especially after what she just helped him achieve. So he made up his mind and slowly nodded his head.

"Very well," she said. "Follow me."

And so, Teacher led the new and improved Sora off down the hall and towards one of the hardest times of his life.


	8. Chapter 7 The Ragnarok

**Chapter 7**

Kairi gazed around at the group she would soon be traveling with. Five people in the group she knew well, some were acquaintances, and two were total strangers. Riku, Roxas, King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy walked close by, as if escorting her. Leon, Aerith, Cid, Tifa, and Cloud were leading them to the hangar that had been completed around two years ago. Will walked to one side and the two strangers brought up the rear.

One of the strangers was the man who had helped Tifa stop the speeding Gummi Ship in the canyons. He hadn't bothered giving a name during all the commotion, he had seemed content to practice some punches on the side of the room, his red fighting gloves flashing through the air. The other person was a woman dressed in an orange-ish pink, knee length skirt with a matching vest. Long gloves that reached up to her shoulders covered her arms. She had long, blonde hair in the front that fell to either side of her face; the rest was tied back in some sort of bun. The glasses on her face did little to hide her stern personality. Her name was Quistis Trepe, and Kairi could tell she was some kind of instructor from the way she had spoken earlier. She had a whip attached to the lank belt that hung from her waist.

Leon led them all to a set of security doors and led them through. Inside was an enormous room with a large set of doors at either end that could open up completely, leaving no trace of a wall. This allowed for large air ships and space craft to enter and leave freely. This was where Cid had said they could find a ship that would suit their needs. To every one's surprise however, it was Leon who shouted in surprise and ran like a little kid towards something they had almost overlooked.

"It's the Ragnarok!" Leon shouted to them, running up to the enormous craft that oddly resembled some sort of dragon. "I haven't seen this ship in years! I thought it was still in Esthar."

"It was still in Esthar Squall," the strange fighter replied, walking up. "They had been making some improvements to it and thought it would aid us here, so they asked for someone to come pick her up. Me and Irvine went over and brought her back for ya. People over there said it was a gift from Laguna."

Leon turned to the stranger, "Thanks Zell. I appreciate it. Oh, and don't forget, its Leon now. Not Squall."

"Right sorry," Zell replied nodding his understanding. "Come on. Let's get on board already."

A large ramp lowered and they all entered what looked like a small hanger in the back of the ship. Leon gazed at the fresh paint and new lights, having never seen this part of the ship fully illuminated before. There were two smaller ships in this area. One that resembled a fighter caught Will's attention and he went to examine it. The other looked like a transport shuttle and was equipped with blasters for defense reasons.

"This fighter seems to be built along the same lines as mine," Will said, coming back to the group and addressing Cid.

"Well, it should," Cid replied, running his finger along his nose, which seemed to be his call sign. "I went and took a look at the wreckage from your ship and saw it was the same model as that one over there, it's just that yours was an older model. Ye can have it if ya want."

"Thanks Cid, I appreciate it. It'll come in handy for protecting this… Ragnarok… from attack while we're flying."

"That it will son, that it will."

Will and Cid went over to examine the fighter some more. Cid was surprised at how much Will knew about air and space crafts. The others continued on to the bridge. There were many chairs here, and one was occupied. The man in it reminded Kairi of a cowboy. He had the same kind of hat, wore a long tan coat, and his brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Leon walked up to him and the man stood up.

"Good to see ya again Leon," the cowboy-like man said.

"Likewise Irvine," Leon replied, shaking Irvine's hand. Then Leon turned to the rest of the group. "Everyone, this is Irvine. He helped out a long time ago in a few matters here on Radiant Garden, and then he went off and did whatever. Irvine, this Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Riku, Tifa, Cloud, Aerith, and King Mickey. I'm sure you remember Zell Dincht and Quistis Trepe?"

"Of course I do," Irvine replied, tapping fists with Zell and giving Quistis a wink. Quistis held her head in her hand in annoyance. At that moment, Will and Cid entered the room, but they weren't alone.

"How can you guys think of going on an adventure with out me?" the young woman with short black hair nearly shouted, bounding up to Leon and getting in his face.

"I thought you had a class to teach Yuffie," Leon replied, holding his nose in his signature 'I'm annoyed or thinking' pose.

"Ninja training is on hold right now," Yuffie replied. "Everyone went home to visit their families. Besides, I have enough true ninjas to take over while I'm gone."

Riku smirked. Even though he'd met Yuffie for the first time about two years ago when she and Merlin the wizard had come to Destiny Islands to make sure every thing was safe, he'd always liked her hyper attitude. He'd hate to see what would happen if Yuffie and Selphie ever met. Still, Riku liked Yuffie, probably more than he'd ever dare admit.

"I guess we have another member gang," Tifa said, breaking Riku's train of thought. Cid had walked over to Irvine and they were going over something on the computer Irvine had been sitting at. Will was leaning against the wall and smirking at the reunion that was going on.

"I think we've talked enough everyone," King Mickey suddenly said, drawing their attention. "Remember, we have a friend we need to find."

Everyone grew serious, as they knew Mickey was talking about Sora. He was their main objective. They had to find him, no matter what. But they also needed help. That was why they were taking the Ragnarok instead of a Gummi Ship. They hoped to recruit some help from any world they visited. Maybe not every world, but they did not deny that the Anti-Sora was a force to be reckoned with.

The four chairs in the bridge were occupied by Cid, Irvine, Quistis, and Zell. Cid and Quistis were pilot and co-pilot, Zell checked the weapon and defense systems, and Irvine remained in the position of navigator. Will went back to the hanger and climbed into his new fighter, ready to take off at the slightest hint of enemy ships. Donald hung near Irvine in case he had to help identify a world, and the others left for a lounge that had been placed in one of the unused parts of the ship. Leon had stayed behind to serve as ship captain.

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Several hours passed with no sign of any worlds or enemies. Kairi had left the lounge and was now standing with Namine in the observation deck at the front of the ship, inside the nose shaped like a dragon's head. Countless stars were strewn across the night sky. Kairi saw one distinctive star she had engraved in her mind when she'd left it. They were passing Destiny Islands. Namine saw the sad look on her other's face and wrapped an arm around her.

"Don't worry Kairi," the Nobody said. "You'll see it again."

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Back in the hanger Will was going over the controls to his ship, again. He was waiting for an attack to test it out. He decided it was time for the waiting to end. He activated the communicator.

"Eagle One to bridge," he said, using his old call sign. "I'd like to take the fighter for a test flight around the ship. Over."

"Hold on a moment Will," came Cid's voice. "I'll check with Leon."

The was a pause and the communicator crackled to life again, but it wasn't Cid.

"What is it you want to do Will?" It was Leon.

"I just want to take the fighter out for a spin, get a feel for her. It'll also be easier to set up a defense if I'm outside already, instead of sitting in this hangar."

"I guess that's okay. Just stay near the ship. The enemy could attack at any time."

"Roger that!" Will said, starting to feel excited. He started the engines and the fighter rose off its landing gear. "Opening hangar doors. And we're away!"

The fighter sped out of the hangar and instantly banked around to the port side of the Ragnarok. As he passed the bridge, he saw six figures waving to him. He gave them a thumbs up sign and proceeded to the nose of the ship. Will was surprised to see Kairi standing in the observation deck with Namine.

Deciding to test the fighter's maneuverability, Will performed a series of complex functions and brought the craft to a rest in front of the Ragnarok, keeping the reverse thrusters on to keep the Ragnarok from plowing into him. At this position he could clearly see Kairi's stunned expression and Namine's uncontrollable giggling. Kairi composed herself and waved. Will responded by dipping the nose of the fighter in a crude version of a nod.

Using the crafts sudden downward momentum, Will shot back to the rear of the Ragnarok, just in time to see a Nobody ship appear.

"Cid, enemy in sight!" Will shouted through the communicator. He engaged the weapons and powered up the shield.

"Copy that," came Cid's voice. "Shields are on and weapon systems are engaging. Keep as many off of us as you can."

"Roger."

_Time to see what this thing can do,_ Will thought as he came up behind the Nobody ship. A quick squeeze of the trigger annihilated the craft, but not before several Heartless Gummi Ships appeared.

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Will had been fighting for over an hour now and the fighter had been hit several times. The Ragnarok had also received damage a few times, meaning they needed to land… now.

"Will, we have a new world coming up," came Irvine's voice.

"Anyone recognize it?" Will replied, firing a laser at a Nobody drone.

"It's not one I visited while traveling with Sora," came Donald's quack-like voice. "I believe it's called Megakat City."

"Mega…kat?"

"That's right. That's what the computer shows."

"Whatever. The name doesn't matter. We need to land and repair, now!"

Three Heartless Shivas met their end as the Ragnarok banked toward the new world. Will was hoping beyond hope that they could shake of the enemy when they reached the world. His moments hesitation cost him dearly as an enemy laser struck the rudder.

"I'm hit! The rudder is malfunctioning. I'm going down!"

All the crew of the Ragnarok could do was watch as Will's ship slowly spiraled toward the surface of an unknown world.


End file.
